Shade-carrier.



' F. H. KNAPP.

SHADE CARRIER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.3, I914.

Patented Nov. 7, 1916.

2 -SHEETSSHEET I.

F. H.- KNAP P. SHADE CARRIER.

APPLICATTONI FILED AUG. 3. 1914 j 1,203,629. 4 Patented Nov. 7,1916,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

roller and in some instances, the stick are FREDERICK H. KNAPP, OF WESTMINSTER, MARYLAND.

SHADE-CARRIER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Nov, 7, 1916,

Application filed August 3, 1914. Serial No. 854,853;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK H. KNAPP, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Westminster, Carroll county, State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shade- Carriers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a window shade fixture or carrier of the general type in which both the roll and stick are adjustable up and down the length of the window so that the shade may be arranged to screen any portion of the window desired giving a corresponding variation as to the amount and distribution of light admitted.

In fixtures of this general type described in previous patents taken out by me, the

the structure intended to be mounted in one position, for use in another position.

The device of the presentinvention is designed to overcome all the difliculties herein recited. To this end, the guide consists of a flexible metal strip which is thin and light and may be coiled for shipment, a convenovercome the excessive flexibility due to the use of a thin guide rod, supports are provided at short intervals, the followers which ing-a small slot to pass the supports in the traverse of the follower.

The difficulty ordinarily encountered in rendering the device interchangeable so that it can be mounted either on the front or inner face of the window frame, has been most satisfactorily dealt with in the present in stance. The ears or plates in which the roll pivots are carried, are shown in a previous patent issued to me as pivotally mounted on the slide. In the present instance, in order to render the fixture interchangeable, I use a universal, instead of a hinge joint, both in connecting the roll-carrying ears to the upper slides, followers or carriers and in connecting the stick to the lower followers. Thus mounted, the parts may be rotated in a horizontal plane relatively to each other mounted on carriages or followers which move up and down on suitable ways or guides on the window frame or casing. These guides are sometimes in the form of grooves in which the slides travel, but more frequently, they are in the form of rods inclosed by the followers. To give the requisite traverse, the'rods must extend the entire length of the window being supported at the top and bottom only. Under these circumstances, particularly with long windows, in order to give the stiffness required to resist the tendency to flap which is incident to the exposure of the shade to even normal summer breezes, the rods must be-made of comparatively large diameter and weight so that they are cumbersome in appearance, expen-' sive to supply and not convenient to handle and ship. It is also an incident to the use of such fixtures that they cannot always be placed in the same position relatively to each other and to the casing. In some instances, they must be placed on the inside or inwardly disposed faces of the casing, while at other times, it is more convenient or desirable to place them on the front or outer face of the casing. The prior devices are not ordinarily interchangeable for this purpose in the sense that they can be used in both positions without-any variation of structure, and those which are described as ing drawing,

interchangeable are either so elaborate that a the front and inner casing.

they cannot be used on account of the ex-? pense, or are otherwise ob ect1onable. Figure 1 isa front elevation of a window Others, while described as interchangeable, showing a shade andthe fixture applied to the front face ofthe casing; Fig. 2 is a horiare not so as to all their parts, certain varia- V tions being necessary to the adaptation of zontal section on the line 2, 2 of Fig. 1; Fig.

the front or inner face of the casing without change. The upper supporting bracket carrying the pulleys and, if necessary, the upper ends of the guides, may be used without change on either face of the casing.

An important advantage of the present structure is that the brackets, guide rods, followers and ears, '5. 6., practically the whole structure, is so designed that the parts may be easily and conveniently stamped out of sheet metal and bent to shape, saving a otherwise be incident to the manufacture of such a construction. y

A window shade carrier embodying the various features of my invention in its prethe same being applied both to face of the window very large portion of the cost which would the ferred form is illustrated in the accompany- 1 ient feature in the mail order trade, and to are designed to inclosethe guide rods, havas well as in a vertical plane as in my pre- VlOlJSCOIlStI'UCtlODS and are thus applied to the tab 10 on the slide.

3 is a side elevation taken from the left of the'window as seen in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is an elevation looking from the right; Fig. 5 is a section corresponding to Fig. 2 showing the fixture applied to the inner faces of the casing; Figs. 6 and 7 are detail views of the universal joint connecting the stick to the stick carrier, showing the same in the two positions prescribed; these views may be considered as taken on the line 6, 7 in Fig. 9; Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8, 8 of Fig. 9; Fig. 9 is a fragmentary elevation of the lower portion of the shade showing the stick carriers and connections; Fig. 10 is a. detail view of one roll carrier and ear; and Figs. 11, 12 and 13 show the pulley bracket in top, side and bottom views, respectively.

Referring to the drawings by numerals,

each of which is used indicate the same.

or similar parts in the different figures, the device consists of a shade roll 1, mounted in carriages 2 to move up and down the length of the window, the carriages traveling on the guides 3 and the stick being connected to stick carriers 1 which also move up and down the guides 3.

In the form of the invention shown, the guides 3 are in the form of flat straps or bands supported at their ends and intermediately by means of studs illustrated as consisting of a central pin 6 secured to the guide rod and seated in the casing, the pin being passed through a cone 7 having its base resting on the face of the casing 8.

The carriages 2 consist each of a slide or follower 9 to which an ear 1% suitably slotted to receive the pivot pin of the roll is con nected by means of a universal jointll. The joint preferably consists of a tab or tongue 10, see Fig. 10, cut out of and turned up from the metal out of which the slide is made, and pierced in a horizontal direction at 13, the car 1 1. being a flat piece of sheet metal slotted at 15 or 15, see Figs. 3 and 4, respectively, to admit the pivots of the roll. Both the flat and round terminals 16 and 16 are referred to as pivots. The cars the two sides are substantially similar except as to the slots 15, 15. For greater accuracy, the right-hand car will be indicated by reference character 17. The ear 1 1 has an extension or projection at one lower corner, the same being formed into an eye or hook 12, see Fig. 2,'which engages theeye 13 of To insert the roll pivots into the slots 15 and 15 in the ears, the latter members are merely swung outward and the pivot ends 16 and 16 passed into the slots, the ears being then swung back into parallel relation. The slot 15 at its lower end, enga es the ivot 16 with a running fit, the other end or pivot 16 being held in the slot 15 by means of a clip 18 hav-- ing an aperture 18 for the pivot whichaperture in the upper position of the clip registers with the slot 15, but as the clip which is adapted to engage the vertical edges of the earand slide up and down, moves downward, the aperture 18 .passes out of registration with the slot.

The weight of the roll is suflicient to move the clip downward and lock the flat pivot with something resembling a wedge action, the weight of the roll acting against the inclined slot 15 to press the edge of the clip on one side and the edge of the ear 14 on the other side, against the flat pivot 16 and lock it in fixed position in the car 14.

The slides or followers 1, carrying the ends of the stick are quite similar to the followers 9 of the carriages 2 which carry the roll, the slides 4 being provided with ears 20 which are pierced at 21, see Figs. 3 and 4-, to engage an eye 22 on the ends of pins 23 thus forming a universal joint between the pins and follower 4. The pins 23 have, a sliding engagement with the sticks 24, the pins being seated in a housing 25 which extends lengthwise of the stick. The pulley brackets 26 as illustrated, see Figs. 11, 12 and 13, consist of a wall plate 27 having a horizontal ear 28 to which a horizontal supporting plate 29 is pivotally connected by means of a bolt 30, the plate 29 having a tongue 81 to engage slots 32 in the wall plate 27. These slots are separated. from each other by an arc of '90 degrees concentric with the bolt and serve to hold the supporting plate 29 in various positions of adjustment relatively to the wall plate 27, either parallel thereto extending forward or back, or at right angles to the wall plate. This provides for use of the pulley bracket either on the front face or the inner face of the window casing. The pulleys are mounted to rotate on a pin or axle 33 mounted in depending cars 34, the pin being of sufficient length to support one or two pulleys depending on whether the bracket is to be used on the near or far side of'the window casing, near or far being used relative to the vertical pull cord 35, see Fig. 1.

The operation of the device is quite apparent from the drawings. The universal joints carrying the ears 1 1 make it possible to swing them laterally as well as in a vertical plane, so that the carriages can be used on either the front or inner face of the easing, and the universal joints connecting the pins 23 to the stick followers 1 give an adjustment which renders the use of this feature as convenient in one position as the other.

It will be apparent that the various parts of the device with'the exception of the cone 7 of the intermediate supports, may be stamped out of sheet metal and bent to their present form with comparatively little expense and that the entire device, owing particularly to the flexible guide rods, may be packed in a small space. However, when used with the supports described, the guides are sufliciently rigid to prevent flapping.

I have thus described specifically and in detail a single embodiment of my invention in order that the nature of the device and its operation may be clearly understood by those skilled in the art, however, the specific terms herein areused descriptively rather than in their limiting sense and the scope of the invention is defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. A window shade fixture consisting of a roll, carriages therefor, flexible guide rods on which the carriages travel, means for moving the roll and carriages up and down the guide rods and means for supporting the guide rods at short intervals throughout their length, the guide rods being so flexible that they may be rolled or folded, the whole device being thus packed in a small space for shipment.

2. A window shade fixture consisting of a roll, a carriage therefor, fiat flexible guide rods on which the carriages travel, means for moving the roll and carriages up and down the guide rods and means for supporting the guide rods at short intervals throughout their length, the guide rods being so flexible that they may be rolled or folded, the whole device being thus packed in a small space for shipment.

3. In a window shade construction, a roll, fiat guide rods, followers engaging the rods, ears for the followers, universal joints connecting the ears to the followers, the ears being slotted and the roll provided with pivots to engage the slots, and means for moving the followers and roll up and down the length of the window, the followers moving over the guide rods.

4. In a window shade construction, a roll,

flat guide rods, followers engaging the rods, ears for the followers, the ears being pivotally connected to the followers to swing horizontally relatively thereto and apertured to receive the roll pivots, and means for moving the followers and roll up and down Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the the length of the window, the followers moving over the guide rods.

5. In a window shade construction, a roll,

vertical guide rods in the form of flat straps, followers engaging the straps, ears for the followers, universal joints connecting the ears to the followers, the ears being slotted and the roll provided with pivots to engage the slots, and means for moving the followers and roll up and down the length of the WlldOW, the followers moving over the guide ro s.

6. In a window shade construction, a roll, vertical guide rods in the-form of fiat straps, followers engaging the straps, ears mounted on the followers, the ears being pivotally connected to the followers to swing horizontally relatively thereto and apertured to receive the roll pivots, and means for moving the followers and roll up and down the length of the window, the followers moving over the guide rods.

7. In a window shade construction, a roll, vertical guide rods in the form of flexible fiat straps, followers engaging the straps, ears for the followers, universal joints connecting the ears to the followers, the ears being slotted and the roll provided with pivots to engage the slots, means for moving the followers and roll up and down the length of the window, the followers moving over the guide rods, and intermediate supports for the guide rods placedrat short intervals throughout the length of the rods.

Signed by me at Baltimore, Md, this 20th day of July, 1914.

' FREDERICK H. KNAPP. Witnesses:

ZELLA KUHN,

EDWIN F. SAMunLs.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

